Languages

Languages

“To learn a language is to have one more window from which to look at the world” – Chinese proverb

We believe strongly in the learning of a second language and all students at St Andrews Lutheran College learn Japanese from Junior Kindy through to Year 6. Students can continue learning Japanese once they start Middle School or they can begin to learn German. Learning a second language helps the students get a greater appreciation for the customs and cultures of another country and helps them to keep an open mind to the differences in the customs and culture. Learning another language also assists in their learning of their own first language (usually English) by drawing focus onto the mechanics of the written and spoken word. Research also shows that learning a second language helps to improve the functionality of the brain which can lead to better results in other Key Learning Areas.

The Learning of a second language is closely linked to the work that is being done in the Units of Inquiry within the classroom. This helps to bring relevance and meaning to what they are learning.

The Languages teacher will often provide students with a range of learning experiences including Skyping schools in Japan, direct instruction into the Japanese language, singing Japanese songs, reading Japanese books and newspapers, watching Japanese movies, acting out plays in Japanese, opportunities to inquire into the culture and customs and compete in speech contests to provide a rich teaching and learning environment for the students to learn a second language.